The pros and cons of buying refurbished forklifts

For many businesses, a forklift is an indispensable piece of kit. Almost all fulfilment, commerce, manufacturing and construction endeavours will make use of a forklift truck – whether it’s a small-medium enterprise ensuring the safe arrival of weekly pallet deliveries or a larger organisation regularly transporting stock onto a shop floor, one thing is for certain – without a decent bit of kit, many of the tasks we take for granted become unsafe or downright impossible.

Of course, in a competitive business world, budgets are often tight. When money is already wrapped up in marketing, promotion and day-to-day administration, it’s often difficult to find the funds for a one-off purchase such as a forklift truck.

Those with small budgets might choose to look for a second-hand or refurbished forklift instead. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, which we will outline below:

Refurbished forklifts: the pros

Low cost

A refurbished forklift truck will cost just a fraction of what you could expect to pay for a brand-new model. Browsing a catalogue of top-of-the-range, all-new machinery might be off-putting for some business owners (especially when they look at the price tag), but the good news is that refurbished forklifts are a value-for-money alternative.

Multiple forklifts

The low cost afforded by refurbished forklifts means that you are able to assemble a whole fleet of forklifts much cheaper and easier than you would if you were buying new. This is especially useful if you are a smaller business that requires a whole fleet of forklifts all year round, and seasonal hire would therefore not be suitable.

Refurbished forklifts: the cons

Not all refurbishments are the same

It’s worth pointing out that there could be varying degrees in quality between two of the same refurbished forklifts, especially if they’ve been refurbished by different fork truck companies. Some unscrupulous dealers might try to offer sub-par units, or simply do a quick check over of a second hand truck, re-paint it and try to pass this off as a fully refurbished machine. To avoid this, stick with a reputable company like Fork Truck Direct for all your refurbished and new forklift truck needs. With warranties and service agreements also offered on our refurbished equipment, you can rest assured you’re getting a good deal.

Getting the most out of refurbished forklifts

To get the most out of refurbished forklifts, it’s important to physically examine the machine before committing to a purchase. It’s also wise to request to see the full service history of the unit – that way you can ascertain whether there are any quirks or parts which regularly seem to fail.

Before purchasing, it’s also worth considering whether the model is still in production or discontinued. When it comes to replacement parts, it’s cheaper and easier to source them for a model which is still rolling off the production lines at the manufacturer’s plant. With discontinued models, you run the risk of having to source second-hand parts or unreliable third-party compatibles. In a worst-case scenario, you might not be able to source parts at all, leading you back to square one.

Ultimately, choosing wisely and spending time doing some research is the path to success when it comes to purchasing good quality refurbished forklifts that will last for years to come.